Intu Properties plc Non Executive Director Appointments (4314B)

TIDMINTU

RNS Number : 4314B

Intu Properties plc

07 October 2015

INTU PROPERTIES PLC

Appointment of new non-executive directors

Intu Properties plc ("Intu") announces that the Board has appointed two new non-executive Directors, Rakhi Parekh and John Strachan. The appointments have been made to provide continuity and expertise to the Board given that Neil Sachdev will not be seeking re-election at the 2016 AGM, having served for nine years, and in 2017 Andrew Huntley will be retiring from the Board.

Rakhi Parekh is joining the Board with immediate effect and brings a wealth of experience from the internet retail environment, her early career having included roles at TomTom, content management software provider Article27 and for eleven years until 2014 at Amazon where she held a number of key roles including responsibility for the Amazon UK Media category. Rakhi will bring an up to date perspective on retail and consumer trends, as well as deep insight and knowledge of the digital environment. Rakhi is a non-executive director of Rightmove plc and sits on Rightmove's Audit and Remuneration Committees.

John Strachan is also joining the Board with immediate effect. John is currently the Global Head of Retail Services at Cushman and Wakefield where he is responsible for the leadership of around 500 professionals worldwide to deliver an operating plan and strengthen Cushman's retail reputation with the key international brands. John's career commenced at Healey and Baker in 1972 where he rose to become Head of UK and European Retail from 1996 to 2000. Healey and Baker was acquired by Cushman and Wakefield in 2000. John brings a wealth of experience from the retail property sector, an international perspective and extensive knowledge of the Spanish retail property market and has a creative and entrepreneurial approach to developing new business opportunities.

Patrick Burgess, Chairman of Intu, commented: "on behalf of the Board of Intu, I am delighted to welcome Rakhi and John to our Board. Both are highly regarded in their respective fields and I look forward to their lively and valuable contributions to the Board's deliberations and strategic vision."

Neither Rakhi Parekh or John Strachan currently hold shares in Intu and there is no other information required to be disclosed for each of them under Listing Rule 9.6.13R.

Contact:

 
 Intu Properties plc 
 Patrick Burgess    Chairman                                 [phone] 
 David Fischel      Chief Executive                          [phone] 
 
 Public relations 
 UK:                Justin Griffiths, Powerscourt            [phone] 
                    Frédéric Cornet, Instinctif 
 SA:                 Partners                                 [phone] 
 

Notes for editors

Intu is the leading owner and manager of prime regional shopping centres in the UK.

A FTSE 100 company, Intu owns and operates many of the UK's biggest and most popular retail and leisure destinations, including nine of the top 20, incorporating super-regional centres such as intu Trafford Centre, intu Lakeside and intu Metrocentre, together with a number of city centre locations from Watford to Newcastle.

With over 23 million sq. ft. of space hosting top UK and international retailers from Apple to Zara, Intu centres attract some 400 million customer visits from over half of the UK's population every year.

Intu has a UK investment pipeline of GBP1.5 billion over the next ten years to add 2.6 million sq. ft. of new retail and leisure space, of which 1.7 million sq. ft. is already consented. Major projects due to be underway soon include the extension and refurbishment at intu Watford and the leisure expansion at intu Lakeside.

Intu also has a growing presence in the Spanish market, owning two of Spain's top 10 centres: intu Asturias in Oviedo, and Puerto Venecia in Zaragoza, a development site in Málaga and development options on a further three sites in Valencia, Palma and Vigo.

Intu creates a compelling experience for its customers, both on and offline, delivering on its brand promise to provide the most digitally connected shopping centres, world-class service and events with a difference. National initiatives include the annual 'Everyone's Invited' event which in 2014 increased footfall that weekend by an average of 13%. Our objective is for customers to come more often and stay for longer, in turn helping intu's retailers to flourish.

With some 115,000 people employed at Intu's centres in the UK, representing some 4% of the UK's total retail workforce, Intu is fully committed to supporting its local communities and the wider environment and is proud to have received widespread recognition for its Corporate Responsibility achievements, including the coveted BitC CommunityMark.

For further information see www.intugroup.co.uk

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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October 07, 2015 05:00 ET (09:00 GMT)